Run for cover! (Really, just kidding.) Mercury turns retrograde tomorrow (August 20) at 19 degrees in Virgo, and will remain retrograde until September 12, when it turns direct again. Since Mercury is so slow-moving, the effects of this retrograde period could potentially be felt for a few weeks afterward (until the end of September).

I’ve stated many times before that Mercury retrograde is truly not to be feared; instead, it is a time of “re-s:” renewal, reflection, redoing, recovery, etc. This is a time to use the powerful planetary energy to the fullest. Mercury retrograde in Virgo favors learning and attention to detail. This is a time to question just about everything: “Why do I need to do this? Why do I need to learn that? What is the point of what I’m doing?” This will be a time of powerful introspection, and you may find yourself paying extra attention to every little detail, thanks to nit-picky Virgo.

In his book Astrology for Self-Empowerment, Dovid Strusiner discusses how to become the controlling factor of our destiny, using the power of planetary movement. I leave you with the following quote:

“By participating consciously in these great moments of cyclic unfolding [such as Mercury Retrograde], we truly flow in and through life. As the great Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu said: ‘Live life as life lives itself.’ If it’s accepted that we contain within ourselves the symbol and the meaning, the vision and the goal, then all that remains is for us to walk on with ever-increasing purity, determination, and wisdom, and to allow the magical moments to transform us.”